Plural lamp-socket.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

PLURAL LAMP SOCKET. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

z z ii:

R. B. BENJAMIN. PLURAL LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1906.

2 SH'EETSSHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 6, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANII FAOTURINGOOMPANY, OF GHIOAGO, ILLINOIS, A OORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS.

PLURAL LAMP-SOCKET.

Speciflcationpf Letters Batent.

Patented Feb. 16, .1909.

To, all whom it, may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented newand useful Im rovements in Plural Lam -Sockets, of-

WlllCh the following is a full, 0 ear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in plural lam sockets, one of the objects of my invention eing to provide a socket in which the cover or inclosing casing may be readily removed to aiiord access to the bindin osts of the device and to thescrews or the il e by which the socket is secured in osition.

In sockets which have been in commercial use heretofore, it has been necessary, in removing the cover thereof for the purpose of gaining access to the binding posts of the device, to remove from each of the threaded shells of the socket a bushing by which the cover is supported, and it is one of the objects of my resent invention to provide a socket in whic access to the binding posts may be obtained with the smallest expenditure of time and effort.

Another object of my invention is to provide a socket which may be readily assembled and which will permit ready access to the various parts of the device for the pur-' pose of repair, ,etc.

Two of the structures which I have worked out as embodyin the above characteristics are illustrated t accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form ofmy invention; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the base with the cover and one contact plate in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the manner in which one ofthe-bin-ding posts of the cluster is mounted; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification of myinvention; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan-view of the base of the modified form of device, the cover and contact plate thereof being in section; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of a portion of the casing employed in-this form of the device.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a suitable basic or en orting part 1, which may be of any suitah e form, but in the resent instance takes the form of an insu ating base of porcelain, and cooperating with this base or supporting art, I provide a metallic casi or cover 2, d etachabl con.- nected therewit and 'having'a ,plura 'ty of lamp openings 3. Registering with these lam openings I provide a plurality of lamp hol ing devices 4, which, in the present instance, are in the form of threaded shells, andare carried upon and removable with a contact plate 5. This contact plate is removably connected with the basic or so porting part 1, by means of a detachabe connection consisting of clips 6 suitably secured upon the supporting part 1 by means -of screws 7, and set in recesses 8 formed in said supporting art, whereby the-inturned portion 9 of the c 'p will be almost flush with the lower face of the su porting part 1. Co operating with these 0 'ps is an out-turned ,flange formed upon the upper part of the contact-plate 5, and havi a portion 10 thereof adapted to .en agd behind the illturned portion 9 of the 0 'ps, and a portion 11 slightly larger than the portion 10 which forms a stop to prevent the portion 10 from bein rotated past the engaging point. At 12, the flange is entirely cut away to permit the contact plate at this point to pass the projections or inturned portions 9 of the clips, whereby when the plate is placed in position, and slightly rotated, the portion 10 0f the flange thereof will engage behind the inturned portion 9 of the supporting clips and maintain the plate in position. One of the supportin clips 6 is provided with a binding post 13, w 'ch in this instance is in the form of a screw secured thereon, to which one of the supply wires may be secured.

The cover 2 is carried by and removable with the contact. late 5, and for connecting the two together, ovide in one form of the device insulating through the openings 3 in the cover and screw upon the threaded shells 4, and are provided with flanges 15 adapted to engage the walls of the casing 2. B this means, the casing is not only connecte to and supported by the threaded shells and the contact plate 5, but the threaded shells are also insulated from the metallic casing.

The center contacts for the lamps are mounted within the casing 2, and register with the lamp holding devices or sockets 4.

These center contacts are preferably mountushings 14, which pass cluster are exposed and may supporting member 1. The center contacts are in the form of upturned lugs 18 formed upon a metallic ring 19, secured upon the.

front face of the insulatng'member l7, and held in osition by means of a metallic ring 20 which in turn is secured upon the insulating member 17 by means of screws 21. This ring 20 carries a binding ost 22, which in the present instance is in t ie form of a screw, suitably secured thereon, to which one of the supply wires of the circuit may be secured, an opening 23 being formed in the insulating member 17 for the passa e of the wire.

In addition to the series of threaded lamp shells 4, which, it will be noted, are arran ecl concentrically around the insulating mem er 17, I provide a central dependin threaded lamp shell 24, also secured to t e contact plate 5. The centerlamp contact for this receiving shellis mounted u on the front face of a projection 25 forme' on the insulating member 17, and comprises a plate 26 having a portion 27 thereof, bent back upon itself, and over a projection 28 on the insulating member 17 to form a spring center contact for the depending lam secured in the threaded shell 24. The ependin or center lamp may be arranged to be lig ited with the rest of the lamps if-so desired, in which case the contact plate 26 would be connected directly with the ring 20, but in the present instance, it is shown as having an independent binding post in the form of a screw 29 to which a supply wire may be secured, whereby the central lamp may be connected to be lighted independently of the remaining lamps of the cluster.

By the above described construction, it will be noted that the casing or covering is carried by the lamp supporting means, which is in turn removably mounted upon the basic or supporting part of the lamp socket. When the lamp supporting means and the inclosing cover are removed from position, the various binding) posts of the nected to the su ply wires. An opening 30 is formed in t e insulatin 4 member 17 through which the conductor or the binding post 13 may pass and the openings 23 and 31 permit the su p pl wires for the binding posts 22 and 29 to he led thereto. After the sup ly wires have been suitably connected to t ei'r binding posts, the contact plate and cover ma be readily secured in position by first placlng the same upon the base in a EOSitlOIl in which the openings 12 in the ange of the contact plate register-s with the clips 6. Then, by .rotating the contact plate, the portions 10 of the flange will be caused to pass behind and engage with the inturned portions 9'of the clips 6, the portions 11/01 the flan e forming stops to prevent the contact p ate from being rotated too far.

e readily con- It will also be noted that all of the binding therein is formed of metal having a covering V of fictile material 2, such as orcelainenamel or the like, and is provided with sleeves 32 into which the threaded shells 4 of the cluster project. By the provisionof the porcelain enamel u on the cover the contact plate 5 may lie in c ose engagement with the cover without danger of short circuits or the like, the fictile material forming a perfect insulation between the contact plate and the metallic portion of the cover. In this construction I have dispensed with the use of the threaded bushings as the contact plate 5 lying in close engagement with the cover 2 and the threaded shells 4 projecting into the sleeves 32 of the cover serve to readily support the cover in position. The construction ofthe remaining parts'of the form shown in the modification is the same as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the exception that I have not shown in this modification the centrallamp feature. This feature may, however, be used if so desired.

While in the present application I have shown certain forms of my invention, it will be understood' that I do not wish to be limited to the construction shown, as various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a plural lamp socket, the combination with a basic or supportin part, of

lamp-engaging contacts carried thereby, a

pair of shells arranged concentrically one within the other, lamp-receiving sockets carried b the inner of said shells, the outer of said s ells having openings registering with said sockets, and means for detachably securing the inner shell to said basic portion.

2. In a cluster or plural lam socket, a basic or su porting part, a plurality of lampreceiving s ells, means for supporting said shells and electrically connecting the same together, interlocking means for detachably connecting said last-named means with said basic art, a casing carried by said lampreceiving shells having lamp openings registering'with said shells, insulating bushings interposed between each of said shells and the casing, and means adapted to complete Cir the circuit through the lamps when .said

shell-supporting member is attached to said supporting part.

3. In a plural or cluster lamp socket, the combination with a basic or supporting part, of center lamp-engaging contacts carried thereby and a. contact plate comprising a bowl-sha ed shell detachably connected therewith iaving openings to permit the lamps to engage sai center contacts.

4. In a plural or cluster lamp socket, the combination with a basic or sup orting part, of a hemispherical contact ate having openings therein to permit t. e lamps to engage the center contacts, detachably connected with said basic or supportin part, and a casing carried by and removabIie with said contact plate.

5. In a cluster or plural lamp socket, a suitable basic or supporting part, lam supporting means detachably connecte with said basic or supporting part, a circular metallic casing having lamp openings car ried by said lamp supporting means, registering center contacts suitably inclosed by said casihg, and binding posts suitably disposed within said casing and adapted to be disclosed by the detachment of said casing and lamp sup orting means.

6. The combination with. a suitable basic or supporting art, of a circular contact plate detachab y connected peripherally therewith and having suitable lamp supporting means, acover or casingcarried by said lamp supporting means, registering center contacts inclosed. by said casing, binding posts suitablymounted within said casing and disclosed b the removal of said casing and, contact p ate, and detachable meansfor establishing communication between' one-of. said binding posts and said contact plate.

7. In a plural or cluster lam I socket, the combination of a series of S00 ets radiallydisposed, a single socket disposed axially with relation to said series of sockets, means for supporting said sockets and electrically connecting the same with each other, a center contact for. said axially disposed socket, a binding-post for said contact, center contacts for 'said series of sockets, and a bindingpost common to all of said last-named contacts.

8. In a plural or cluster lamp socket, the combination of a series of sockets arranged in a circle, a single socket centrally disposed relatively to said series of sockets, means for supporting said sockets and elec tn'cally connecting the. same together, a

centrally socket, means for connecting a lead with said contact, a center contact for each of said series of sockets, said last-named con' tacts being electrically connected together, and means for'connecting a lead with said last-named contacts.

.9. In a' lural or cluster socket, the combination o a base, a series of sockets ar ranged in a circle, a centrally disposed socket, center contacts for said series of sockets, said contacts being carried by said base, means for connecting said contacts with a source of current supply, a center contact for'said centrally disposed socket, and means for independently connecting said last-named contact with a source of current supply.

10. In a plural or cluster socket, the combination of a series of sockets arranged in a circle, a centrally disposed socket, center contacts for said series of sockets, means for connecting said contacts with a source of current supply, 'acenter contact for said isposed socket, and means for independently connecting said last-named contact with a source of current supply,

' 11. In a plural or cluster socket, the combination of a casing having a series of'openingsarranged in a circle and a single central opening, means inclosed by said casing for sustainlng a lamp in each of said opemngs, contacts for engaging the terminals of said lam s, means for connecting a plurality of sai lamps in circuit with leads, and means for independently connecting the lamp in ithedcentral opening in circuit with another 12. In a plural or cluster lamp socket, the combination of a su porting part, a body ortion separable tierefrom, a series of amp-holding devices arranged in a circle, a centrally disposed lamp-holding device, contacts for engaging the lamps, permanently organized'means for connecting a plurality of said contacts together electrically, a binding-post within said body ortion for connecting a lead with said ast-named means, and a separate binding-post within said body contacts 0 the center lamp-holding device with another lead.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the, presence of two Witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. witnessesz.

M. R. Rocnronn, A. H. Lmmans.

portion for connecting one of the 

